Endgame Strategies

Mar/Apr 2009

How Obama Carried Me Home

Frances McCaffery spent her whole life searching for political inspiration. When she joined Obama’s campaign, she finally found it.

They Believed, Why Can’t I?

A billboard by designer Alexander McQueen features an image of chic Parisians rebelling in 1968 and no sign of the actual product. The ad is appropriating the rebels’ inner passions in an attempt to animate the dead desire of today’s consumer, prompting author Stephen Duncombe to wonder whether belief and skepticism, rationality and faith can be reconciled.

Pachamama: Rights for Nature

In an unprecedented move Ecuador recently passed constitutional amendments that enshrine rights for nature. In doing so the tiny nation has figured out a way, totally consistent with our Western legal platforms, to give earth and civilization a fighting chance.

A Crack in Capitalismo’s Façade

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa is breaking capitalism’s rules of conduct by defaulting on repayment of almost $4 billion in foreign debt. Declaring that the debt is immoral and illegal, Correa is pledging to deal with his country’s social debt before kowtowing to foreign creditors.